Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency is now setting its sights on the Internal Revenue Service.
The agency is expected to lay off thousands of probationary workers right in the middle of its busiest time of the year: tax season.
The layoffs could come as soon as this week. DOGE staffers visited the IRS building last week to observe operations, according to Reuters.
When asked about the visit, President Donald Trump responded with praise for the work DOGE has done so far.
"I think that the Internal Revenue Service will be looked at like everybody else. Just about everybody's going to be looked at,” Trump said Thursday in the Oval Office.
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“They're doing a hell of a job,” Trump added, referring to DOGE. “It's an amazing job they're doing."
Critics, however, see it differently.
The Trump administration created DOGE without congressional approval to reduce what it described as wasteful government spending, leading to the termination of thousands of federal employees across multiple agencies.
The administration maintains Musk's efforts are making the government more efficient, but many of the claims remain unsubstantiated.
Democrats have expressed their concerns with DOGE. Congressman Maxwell Frost believes it presents a massive security risk. He fears DOGE's actions may harm the United States.
"What he's looking to do is not make government more efficient for America,” said Frost. “He's looking to come in with Elon Musk and do this corporate slash and burn technique which doesn't work, and which will make our country less safe."
Scripps News reached out to the IRS and the Treasury Department for comments but did not hear back by the time this story was published.
In the meantime, multiple legal actions have been taken against DOGE and the Trump administration.
A federal judge Friday continued to block DOGE from accessing sensitive U.S. Treasury Department material, such as Americans' bank information and social security numbers.
The lawsuit, filed by 19 states, said Musk having access to that information could allow the Trump administration to "block federal funds from reaching beneficiaries who do not align with the president's political agenda."
